Cabinet front and doors



Feb. 6, 1968 W. H. KAFFERLIN CABINET FRONT AND DOORS Filed March 14,1966 INVENTOR WILL/AM H. KAFFEKL/N CM M United States Patent )fitice3,367,731 Patented Feb. 6, 1968 3,367,731 CABINET FRONT AND DOORSWilliam H. Kaiferlin, Spring Creek, Pa., assignor to Corry JamestownCorporation, Corry, Pa., a corporation of New York Filed Mar. 14, 1966,Ser. No. 533,976 2 Claims. (Cl. 312-304) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Theinvention herein involves a sliding door type of cabinet wherein thebottom track is made of an integral piece of sheet metal bent in theform shown to provide an inclined bottom on which the bottoms of thedoors slide. The sheet metal track also has a real wall that may befixed to a bottom of a cabinet.

This invention relates to cabinets and, more particularly, to the typeof cabinets frequently used in oflices for storage of papers, documents,and other articles.

The cabinet disclosed herein incorporates an improved support for doorswhereby the lower part of the doors will be held in firm engagement witheach other and with the front part of the lower track, therebypreventing the doors from moving relative to each other and relative tothe cabinet.

It is, accordingly, an object of the invention to provide an improvedcabinet.

Another object of the invention is to provide a cabinet, which is simplein construction, economical to manufacture, and simple and efficient touse.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved cabinet anddoor support in combination with doors.

With the above and other objects in view, the present invention consistsof the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fullydescribed, illustrated in the accompanying drawing and more particularlypointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that changes maybe made in the form, size, proportions, and minor details ofconstruction without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of theadvantages of the invention.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of the cabinet according to the invention;and

FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view taken on line 2-2 of FIG. 1.

Now with more particular reference to the drawings, the cabinetaccording to the invention is indicated generally at 10. It has a top 11and a base 12. It may have suitable back and ends in accordance withcommon practice. The cabinet is likewise equipped with sliding doors 13and 14, which are supported in the lower track 18 at the front of thebase 12. The cabinet is also provided with an upper track 19 asindicated. The upper track 19 defines a downwardly facing channel 20,which receives the upper ends of the doors. The upper track is formed bythe front portion of the top bent downwardly as indicated, then upwardlyto define the front leg 21 of the channel. The rear leg of the channelis formed by the vertical leg 22 that is spaced rearward from the frontleg 21 and defines the space for the upper ends of the doors.

The lower track may be formed from a piece of sheet metal having theforwardly extending leg 23, then bent upwardly to form the verticallydisposed forwardly facing leg 16, then bent downwardly to form thevertical leg 24, then bent upwardly and rearwardly at an angle ofapproximately thirty degrees forming the bottom 17 of the lower track,then bent downwardly at 25 to form an attaching portion for attaching tothe leg 26 of the base. The cabinet may be provided with a false floorat 30.

The doors may be inserted by lifting them so that the upper edge thereofmoves upward into the channel 20, then the lower edge of the door may bepushed inward over edge 18 and the door may then be lowered bringing thelower edge of the door into the space between the vertical leg 24 andthe bottom 17. It will be noted that one of the doors will slide behindthe other and the bottom portion of the doors will be urged together asthey slide forward and down along the bottom 17. The doors will be urgedforward and downward by the force of gravity, thus holding them snuglytogether when one door is in open position.

The doors are shown in FIG. 2 with one door being opened and thereforeresting behind the other door. When closed, both doors are positionedbeside each other in the same plane and provide a flush appearance, asshown in FIG. 1. The function of the inclined plane is to allow the reardoor to slide down to a flush position with the front door when closed.Further, it has been demonstrated that four doors are as effective astwo.

The doors are held forward by gravity at the bottom track. There is aguide provided in the top track at each end to guide the door into aclosed position that holds both doors against leg 21 and prevents topwobble. When four doors are used, this becomes a significant feature forsatisfactory performance, since all doors are held in the same plane.

The foregoing specification sets forth the invention in its preferredpractical forms but the structure shown is capable of modificationwithin a range of equivalents without departing from the invention whichis to be understood is broadly novel as is commensurate with theappended claims.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property orprivilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. A cabinet having a top and an open front,

a sliding door for closing at least a part of said open front,

a lower track and an upper track for said door,

said upper track being attached to said cabinet and comprising adownwardly open channel,

said lower track having a forwardly and downwardly inclined surfacedefining the bottom of said lower track, said lower track having agenerally vertically extending front leg defining a rearwardly facingsurface,

said door having its upper edge received in said channel and its loweredge supported on said bottom of said lower track,

said door being adapted to slide forward and downward on said bottom,whereby said door is urged into engagement with said front leg,

said lower track is formed from a sheet-like member extending upwardthereby forming a. front member,

bent downward forming said vertically extending leg,

then extending upward'and rearward defining said bottom,

then extending downward defining an attaching portion for attaching saidlower track to said cabinet and a floor in said cabinet forming a topsurface flush with the upper part of said attaching bottom.

2. The cabinet recited in claim 1 wherein guide means is provided insaid upper track whereby the tops of said doors are held in a singleplane when 10 said doors are in closed position.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Gates 312-438 X Kollsman 49-130Lappin et a1 312-138 X Kollsman 49130 Sawdek et a1 49130 JAMES T.MCCALL, Primary Examiner.

